Savour the Moment
by Unexpected-Adventures
Summary: The friendship and romance between two of the Marauders: Remus Lupin and James Potter. A Short Story for Round 3 of Quidditch League Writing Competition!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to God-Queen Rowling!**

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**This is a short story I wrote for Round 3 of the Quidditch League Writing Competition I am currently in.  
I am Chaser 2 for the Caerphilly Catapults!**

**Pairing: Remus Lupin & James Potter  
Prompts: Bruises, Dialogue: "Forget about it", "Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend." - Sarah Dessen**

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"Forget about it, Prongs."

"Moony!"

James Potter leapt up the stairs of Gryffindor tower in pursuit of Remus Lupin, his fellow fifth-year and best friend.

When James reached their dormitory the door was already hanging open, with Remus standing stiffly, his back facing towards him.

James sighed and looked expectantly over at Remus.

"Moony, mate," James said softly, "Those bruises aren't from the full moon."

"Say it louder, why don't you?" Remus snapped, which took James by surprise; he was always so calm and collect.

James tapped his foot impatiently and flicked his wand, causing the door behind him to snap shut and lock. At the sound, Remus spun around.

Under normal circumstances Remus Lupin would usually look shabby and tattered, but the bruises and cuts that covered his face on this day were not from his "furry little problem," as his friends liked to refer to it as, and James was very much aware of this.

"Who was it?" James asked, nodding to the scars.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Remus replied, but the anger in his voice had disappeared and he was refusing to meet James' eyes.

"Come off it, Moony," James said sternly, "You look like you had a Bludger set on you!"

Remus began to retort but James cut in, "And _don't_ say it was the full moon, because I know it hasn't been yet."

It took Remus a while before he finally spoke, staring at the ground; his already flushed face turning a deeper shade of red.

"Seventh-year Slytherin's," he muttered in shame, "Apparently they weren't all that pleased when you w- won the Quidditch match last week, and I- I walked past and they- they…"

Remus' stuttering voice trailed off and James could see he was holding back tears; it broke his heart.

"The next time I see those dirty twa-" James began through clenched teeth.

"No!" Remus begged in a shaking voice, "Don't do anything, it'll only make it worse."

"But look what they did to you!" James cried, taking a step towards Remus and examining his battered face.

"I don't need your help with this, Prongs," Remus said stubbornly.

"Why are you being so stroppy?" James yelled in frustration.

"I- I don't need my friends fighting my battles," Remus stuttered, but rose to look James in the eye.

"What about your best friends?"

Remus paused for a moment and sighed, "I don't need best friends…"

Being James Potter, this comment bounced right off him, and he merely smirked instead of taking offence to it.

"Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend," James said softly and put a comforting hand on Remus' shoulder.

He heard Remus take a sharp intake of breathe and he frowned at this response. But before he could comment he felt a pair of warm lips meet his in a quick embrace.

James' eyes snapped open in shock as he realised what was happening, but he did not pull away. He hardly had any time to react at all before Remus had parted his lips with a heavy breath.

"What if I want more than a best friend," Remus whispered, his brown eyes meeting James' hazel pair.

James blinked and took a moment to process this.

Remus was his friend, his _best _friend… and he, James, was in love with Lily… but what if…

Making a sudden decision James leant forward and caught Remus' lips with his own, deepening their kiss with each movement.

James felt everything of Remus; his warm lips, his panting breath, his racing heartbeat beneath his shirt, the way his hair felt as he ran a soft hand through it. James had never felt so alive.

When they did eventually split apart James found himself backed up against the dormitory door, with Remus' surprisingly strong grip on his waist.

He stared up into the brown eyes of his best friend, taking in every moment, every breath, and every touch that had just occurred.

When Remus looked like he had calmed down from the sudden burst of intimacy his brow furrowed questioningly.

"Lily," Remus said, it was more of a statement than a question, but James knew what he meant and sighed.

There was something so exciting, so deliciously exhilarating about being with Remus that he had never felt before. But he did love Lily Evans, really he did, and he could not change that.

James nodded, and he saw the pain that passed through Remus' face at that one simple action.

"But let's forget about her for one more moment," James smiled mischievously, and ran a gentle hand over the bruises and scratches on Remus' face.

Remus returned the smile, his eyes lighting up in a way that only James could do and embraced him one last time, treating every moment like it was their last.


End file.
